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First-turn nightmare almost over for Sharp

A year past quickly and ignominiously going out from pole, Scott Sharp gets another try at Indy.

By JOANNE KORTH, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 11, 2002

Scott Sharp would like nothing more than to win the pole for the 86th Indianapolis 500, though it would mean reliving his most humiliating moment.

Again.

Last year, all eyes were on pole-sitter Sharp as he led the field to the green flag of the world's most famous race. He hit the gas, cruised into the first turn at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and ... whoops!

Carrying too much speed for suddenly cool conditions, Sharp dipped a tire onto the paint marking the inside edge of the track, lost control and smashed into the wall.

"It stuck with me all year," said Sharp, who drives for Kelley Racing. "Still, when I recount that day, it's hard for me to comprehend it happened. We had such an incredible month going and I had so much confidence in my car. Unfortunately, it's one of those things in your life that you can't hit rewind."

Or can you?

Today is Pole Day at Indy. Sharp again has a car fast enough to secure not only the race's ideal starting spot, but the only place on the grid from which Sharp's road to redemption can begin.

"This is my favorite time of year, my favorite track," said Sharp, whose No. 8 Chevrolet-powered Dallara was among the fastest cars in practice this week. "I live in Indianapolis and I love being out on the racetrack every day. Those are the reasons I'm already excited, let alone what's been festering inside me for a year to get out and get the job done."

Sharp, a former Trans-Am champion who shared the inaugural Indy Racing League title in 1996, calls winning the Indy 500 pole the highlight of his 2001 season, ahead of winning at Texas. While others fretted about Bump Day, Sharp spent two weeks tuning his car and practicing his starts on the famed 2.5-mile track.

The temperature? About 95 degrees.

On race day, however, clouds rolled in and the temperature dipped to 56. Knowing he could not carry the same speed into the corner as in hot conditions, Sharp eased out of the throttle. But he got too low, driving onto the freshly painted line made slippery by the cool temperature.

After a month of preparation, his Indy 500 was over in less than a mile, though it lasted much longer. Much, much longer.

"For the first couple weeks it was pretty tough to get over," Sharp said. "I had to think about it every day until a month ago when we came back for testing. But we ran so well in the test, that's when I thought I finally had put it behind me."

Sharp was not the only driver to wreck last year because of slick paint. And it should be of some consolation to Sharp that, according to IRL director of operations Brian Barnhardt, the speedway has since switched to a paint with "grit."

But Sharp does not use the excuse.

"When 32 drivers get through the corner and you don't, you can't blame the paint," Sharp said, smiling. "For the conditions, I set too fast a pace."

Sharp's spin was the start of a humbling race for the IRL. Regulars from the rival CART series, most competing at Indy for the first time since the open-wheel split in 1996, swept the top five positions, led by Indy 500 rookie Helio Castroneves.

Though haunted by the incident, Sharp did not let it define him.

Two weeks later, he won the next IRL event at Texas. And he comes into this Indy 500 with confidence. Using strategy and teamwork, Sharp won the Firestone 225 in Nazareth, Pa., when pole-sitter Gil de Ferran ran out of fuel on the last lap at the 1-mile oval. After four of 15 events, Sharp is fifth in points. "There's nothing to say that because we ran well at Nazareth we will run well at Indy, but that really brought us into this month with the best mental attitude we can have," Sharp said.

Today's task: win the pole.

Again.

"I want to be No. 1 at everything I do," Sharp said. "So if there's qualifying, especially for the Indy 500, the most important race in the world, I want to be on the pole for it. It really doesn't have anything to do with last year."

Indy 500

WHAT: Pole qualifying for the May 26 race.

WHEN/WHERE: Noon-7 p.m. today; Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

TV: Noon-1 p.m. ESPN, 1-3 p.m. Ch. 28, 5-7 p.m. ESPN.

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